Review=========
Introduction: Privacy and decentralization are key products that people need, an act that we need to practice and exercise as individuals; it is a right, and anyone is free to exercise it by abstaining from monitoring and censorship from a group of organizations and governments that believe they need to cage everyone's ways on the internet and invading one's privacy. Utopia, a new dawn of decentralization network that embodies the necessary tools to safely access the internet without leaving any marks or stains, here are some interesting features I found on the platform.
Installation/Starting: The process of installing the app was simple and quick. Since the app is entirely anonymous in the sense that everything you do on it is done through the public key, the creation of the account username and public key with a strong password was the first step that was required in the installation process., it is entirely anonymous without any requirement of email, phone number; what is required from users is just the public key to use and access any other components of the platform efficiently.
Profile: Upon completing the setup process, a new dashboard with a carefully chosen theme emerged, capturing my immediate attention. The initial tab that drew my attention was "My Profile," as the entire functionality of the application relied upon the information contained within it, namely the username and Public Key. The profile contains additional options to set up first name and last name as optional fields in the beginning but they are not important in the first place, the important thing is to remain anonymous and maintained maximum privacy.
However, within the profile settings, I discovered an astounding feature that allowed for interaction with the app in a unique way. They had incorporated a naming service known as UNS(Utopia Naming Service), which came highly recommended for all users to register with.
UNS, or the Utopia Naming Service, serves a simple purpose: it provides a human-readable format for Public Keys that can be utilized by anyone on the Utopia platform since the Public Keys are typically comprised of alphanumeric characters and can be challenging for users to remember or differentiate. However, UNS offers a more user-friendly alternative, allowing contacts to be added directly without the need for the cumbersome Public Key, with UNS, users can easily distinguish between various contacts and identify individuals as User A or User B.
uWallet: The built-in U wallet provides users with a simple interface that conveniently displays transaction history on the sidebar. As I began reviewing the application, my initial transaction was receiving 5CRP. What impressed me was that the sender's public key was visible, allowing me to identify the source of the transaction. The amazing aspect of this feature is that the transaction remains untraceable, with only the sender's public key being revealed, ensuring maximum privacy and anonymity.
Swap: Another remarkable feature of Utopia is its built-in swap functionality. Within the Utopia ecosystem, there are two coins available: Crypton CRP and Utopia USD(stablecoin). These coins can be accessed directly within the Utopia app, allowing users to conveniently swap between them when they feel unsafe with the market volatility and instances where users may prefer not to hold CRP due to its volatility, they can make use of the swap feature without the need to withdraw the coins from the platform to other trading exchanges.
To assess the swap function, I personally tested it and was astounded by the results. I successfully executed a swap of as low as 1 CRP to 0.52 UUSD without encountering any slippage issues. This shows the efficiency and reliability of the swap feature within the Utopia ecosystem.
Crypto Cards: This is another enhanced iteration of Public Keys, known as Crypto Cards. With this unique card number, you can effortlessly receive CRP and UUSD from others without having to disclose your public key. Crypto Cards serve a similar purpose to UNS but at a more affordable cost. To obtain a crypto card, you only need 3 CRP, whereas UNS requires 10 CRP, making the payment for a crypto card three times cheaper. Furthermore, Crypto Cards consist of just 16 characters, in contrast to the 64 characters found in public keys.
uVoucher: Utopia offers another exciting feature that allows users to redeem free gift vouchers for discounted CRP in their wallets. With this option, any user can use their given voucher to convert it into CRP. Not only does this functionality incentivize more users to join the platform, but it also generates increased demand for vouchers during events, enabling people to enjoy the benefits they offer. This feature serves to enhance user engagement and promote wider adoption of Utopia, creating a win-win situation for both users and the platform.
uChat: Unlike the conventional chatting apps that store encrypted chat logs in a centralized server, Utopia takes a different approach. It completely eliminates the need for a central server to store users' information and logs. Instead, Utopia only requires the public keys of your contacts to initiate chats with anyone you desire. This unique setup ensures strict anonymity, as you have no knowledge or understanding of who is on the other end of the conversation. This is indeed a commitment to privacy protection in design, offering users a truly secure and anonymous chatting experience.
***Suggestion: The UNS service is a great future, I would have loved to have one or two names created but I was limited by the CRP on my wallet, maybe the next 2 or 3 users should be given that privilege to have one demonstrated for everyone to see how naming service work within the Utopia ecosystem.
*More exchange listing: The volume CRP on centralized exchanges is reducing, one of the exchanges Hotbit announced yesterday to shut down, and that will even make the volumes decline further. The Utopia team should consider adding tier 1 exchange like Kucoin to further boost liquidity and adoption.
*Decentralized applications are almost generally open source, yet I was unable to locate the Utopia Repo on GitHub or any other documentation. The safety and security of the Utopia platform must be made clear to the public, as well as if the servers are really as decentralized as they stated.
